Pipe-coupling.



V'. S. DURBJN.

PIPE COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED FEB- 7. 1916- Patented Apr. 3, 1917.

VUTMW. S. DURIBIN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

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To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Vo'mw S. Durham, a citizen .oi the United States, residing inthe city of St. Louisand State of Missouri, have invented new and useful lmprovementsin PipeC-ouplings, of which the following is a specificatlon. I y

This invention relates to certain new and usefulimprovements in couplings for pipes used for conveying compressed air, steam, or other gas or liquid under pressure, but it is equally applicable for use in coupling the ends of pipes adapted for conveying any gaseous or fluid medium under circumstances where it is desirable that a leak-proofjoint be provided. -My invention is'especially designedfor use in connection with the air and steam pipes ot.'trai'ns; and its broad object-is to provide a coupling of novel -con struction which shall be steam and air-tight, and which will be sealed more securely against leakage in proportion to-the pressure-of the air or steam passing through the coupling.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coupling possessing the characteris-'" tics described in which one member of the coupling shall be freely rotatable without in to ity ofthe coupling A further object of the invention is to provide a. novel construction of washer for use in sealing the meeting surfaces of the cow pling, andfwhich washer is specially designed :toaccomplish the secure sealing of steam; The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, .in which--v Figure 1 is a new in side elevation of my improved coupling and showing by dotted a difierentposition; 1

Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view at of the coupling; 4

Fig. 3 is a plan view, partly in, section, of the proved washer used in connectionwith my coupling";-

lines one of the coupling members turned to Fig. 4; is an edge view of,the washer, and

W showing aportion thereof in section; and

Fig. 5' is an inside view of oneoic' the coupling members showing the seat for the ,washer.

Referring, now to the drawing, the nu-Z Fat moral 1 indicates a coupling'member consisting of a head 2 having a substantially oylin- Specification of Letters Patent.

any mannervimpairing the leak-proof qual the coupling, against the escape of air,or

dricalvwall and side face, and this head at its base is provided with an annular shoulder 3. The numeral 4 indicates a similar companion coupling-member which is, provided with a circular head 5 having a reduced portion adordingan annular shoulder 6. The heads 2' and 5 are constructed identically the same at their meeting sides, and a description of onewill suflice for both. This construction is illustrated in Fig. 5, from which it will be seen that the opening? leading into the head is surrounded by an annular space 8, and this space is, in turn, surrounded by a rec'ess 9 having an inclined bottom which provides at its opposite edges shoulders 10 and 11, respectively. The shoulder 11 is, in efiect, the meeting faceof the head, and with the shoulder 10 serves to define a recess or groove for reoeiving'one side of a concavoconvex washer12l The inclined faces of the recesses 9 cooperate to form a Washer seat. The washer 12 is of ring formation, and substantially ll-shaped in cross section, as indicated in Fig. 4, having a flat peripheral portion 13, and inwardly-inclined diverging extensions or side members '14, 15, with diverging irmer vfaces and divergmg outer Patented Apr, 3, 1917. Application filed February 7,1916. Seri'alhl'o. 78,609. i

- faces. From an inspection of- Fig. 2 it will 1 placed in meeting relation, as shown in Fig.

2, the ends of the, cylindrical walls being in juxtaposition; the outer cylindrical facesof' the heads terminating at the juxtaposed end faces; and the cylindrical faces substantially alined with each other, the heads are con-- nected by a sleeve 16 having'a shomldered portion 1? adapted. to engage under the shoulder 6, and a reduced annular portlon 18 adapted to rotatably engage a second reducedportion 19 of the head '5. Any suit able means may be employed 'for securing the sleeve; for this purpose the sleeve 16 is interiorly screw-threaded at its"larger end, as indicated at 20, to engage the screw threads on the head 2, and when screwed home to unite the couplingheadsmayibe heldsecurely-in place by means of a screw 21 passed through an aperture in thewallof the. sleeve and engaging in the head 2.. It 1s evident that by engaging the cylindrical facesof the coupling, the; coupling -centers the'heads upon each other.

From an. inspectionfof Fig. 2- it will. be I readily seen'that the engagement oft-the walls of the washer 12 in the recesses-li tends to form a very secureand leak-proof seatln of the washer, owing to the engagement-o its inner edge and its outer perlpheralportlon,

respectively, with the shoulders 10 Land-i111;

and further that, owing tothe open-or hollow formation of the washer, the pressure of air, gasor steam passing through the, coupling will necessarilybe exerted on'theainside of the washer ahd tendto forceits-pe ripheral portion and its side walls, outwardlyinto yet firmer engagement with the recesses in the heads, and thus firmlyseal the coupling against leakage. It will be apparent that the greater the pressure exertedupon the washer the firmer it Wlll be forced into'engageriient with the seats in the heads. The shouldered portion 6 of the head 5 and the corresponding shouldered portion 17 of the sleeve 16 are finishedto form asmooth joint and the coupling member l may be readily rotated"in.the sleeve 16 without in any manner impairing the sealof the coupling. I' further provlde against leakage at the joint between the shouldered portions 6 and 17 by means of the-annular recesses 8, which, as clearly shown by ,Fig. 2,fpr9? }{1de.

contact surfaces in the opposing ces"*;of

-theheads 2 and 5 against whichj .thepressure of the air, steam, or other medium will be exerted-in operation and tend-t9 force the.

said heads apart, thereby securing a firm sealing contact between the shoulder 6 and the shoulder 17. Such -movement of the coupling member 4, even if continuous, produces very little wean of the washer 12. In

course of time, however, the washermust be i renewed, and thiscan easily be accomplished by removing the screw 21 and unscrewing the sleeve from the head 2.

Special attentionis called to the beneficial action of the shoulders 10 in tending to prevent the fluid passing through the coupling from etting under the edges of the gasket.

- This as ctionofthe shoulders is very important and I have found in the use of gaskets of this land that even a very small ob:

. struction, such as a grain of sand under the edge of the gasket may operate t6 letin the fluid under the gasket, whichwill then crumpleup and become useless. In this con-. nection, one of the advantages of my gasket is its thinness, by reason of which. the pres-, sure on the gasket tends to expand it con- 'siderably, and this forces its edges well up into the recesses adjacent the shoulders 10.

I have not illustrated the applica-" tion of the coupling to the air or steam pipe of a train, I will simply state that in such application it will-be necessary'to have the coupling members relatively rotatable, and this rotar movement is provided forvin my coupling. y a sim e arrangement which yet preserves the lea -pr oof character of the coupler} Iclaim: v

.1. A pipe coupling comprising coupling cal walls the ends whereof abut together, saidmembers being held together in rotative relation, the opposlng ends of said members beingeach provided with an enlarged recess -members having two substantially cylindrisurrounding its bore, and with an outer recess surroundingsaid first-named recess, and an expanslblewasher interposed between the coupling members and housed in said outer recesses and extending over the joint formed at the abutting ends of said cylindrical walls said washer beingsubject to the pressure of ,the medium'passing through the coupling.

. 2. A pipe coupling comprising coupling a members having, substantially cylindrical walls the ends'whereof abut together, said members being held together in rotative relation,'the epposin' ends of said coupling members bemg eac provided with an annular recess surrounding its bore, and with an outer inclined recess surrounding said annular recess and terminating at said abutting ends, a washer interposed between the coupling members and having annular side recesses of the coupling members, said .washer having a peripheral portion'covering the joint formed at the meeting faces of the coupling members, said washer being subject to the a pressure of the medium passing -,members seated in the respective inclined through the coupling, and a sleeve engag- I ing the outer faces of said cylindrical walls to form a washer-seat surrounded by said.

cylindrical walls, an expansible washer of substantially V-shape cross-sectionhaving diverging extensions received on said seat,

said members having substantially alining outer" cylindrical faces terminating at said end' faces, a sleeve engaging said cylindrical faces for connecting said members, the pressure of a-fluid passing through said coupling operating to-force said washer against said .seat, said end members having annular shoulders projecting adjacent the edges of the said diverging extensions of'said washer to prevent the fluid from forcing itself under said edges.

4. A pipe coupling comprising couplingmembers' having substantially cylindrical Walls the end faces whereof are in juxtaposition, the ends of said members having oppositely disposed inclined faces cooperating to form a washer-seat surrounded by said cylindrical walls, an expansible Washer of substantially V-shaped cross section having diverging extensions received on said seat, said members having substantially alining outer cylindrical faces terminating at said end faces, a sleeve engaging said cylindrical faces for connecting said members, the pressure of a fluid passing through said coupling operating to force said washer against said seat, said members having annular shoulders projecting adjacent the edges of said diverging extensions to prevent the fluid passing through said coupling from forcing its way under the edges of said extensions.

'5. A pipe coupling comprising coupling members having substantially cylindrical walls the end faces whereof are in juxtaposition, the ends of said members having oppositely disposed inclined faces cooperatin to form a washer seat surrounded by said cylindrical walls, an expansible washer of substantially V-shape cross section having diverging extensions received on said seat, said members having outer cylindrical faces terminating at said end faces, a sleeve engaging said cylindrical faces for connecting said members, the pressure of a fluid passing through said coupling operating to force said washer against said seat, the ends of said members having annular shoulders projecting adjacent the edges of the said diverging extensions of said washer to prevent the fluid from forcing itself under said edges. 7

6. A pipe coupling for conducting a fluid under pressure, comprising coupling members having substantially cylindrical walls the end faces whereof are in juxtaposition, said coupling members each having an inclined annular face extending from the end face of the coupling, said inclined faces cooperating to form a washer-seat surrounded by said cylindrical walls, an expansible con cavo-convex washer having diverging inner faces, and diverging outer faces received on said seat, having its inner face exposed to the pressure of the fluid, said coupling members having outer cylindrical faces terminating at said end faces, a sleeve engaging said cylindrical faces for centering and connect ing said members, and permitting said coupling members to swivel upon each other, the pressure of the fluid passing through said coupling operating to force said washer against said seat.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

VOTAW S. DURBIN. 

